the underground city-第8章

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lamp；　thrown　on　the　wall；　revealed　no　trace　of　any　recent　work　with　pick　or　crowbar。　　Harry　would　then　ask　himself　if　it　was　not　the　effect　of　some　acoustic　illusion；　or　some　strange　and　fantastic　echo。　At　other　times；　on　suddenly　throwing　a　bright　light　into　a　suspicious…looking　cleft　in　the　rock；　he　thought　he　saw　a　shadow。　He　rushed　forward。　　Nothing；　and　there　was　no　opening　to　permit　a　human　being　to　evade　his　pursuit！

Twice　in　one　month；　Harry；　whilst　visiting　the　west　end　of　the　pit；　distinctly　heard　distant　reports；　as　if　some　miner　had　exploded　a　charge　of　dynamite。　　The　second　time；　after　many　careful　researches；　he　found　that　a　pillar　had　just　been　blown　up。

By　the　light　of　his　lamp；　Harry　carefully　examined　the　place　attacked　by　the　explosion。　　It　had　not　been　made　in　a　simple　embankment　of　stones；　but　in　a　mass　of　schist；　which　had　penetrated　to　this　depth　in　the　coal　stratum。　Had　the　object　of　the　explosion　been　to　discover　a　new　vein？　Or　had　someone　wished　simply　to　destroy　this　portion　of　the　mine？　Thus　he　questioned；　and　when　he　made　known　this　occurrence　to　his　father；　neither　could　the　old　overman　nor　he　himself　answer　the　question　in　a　satisfactory　way。

〃It　is　very　queer；〃　Harry　often　repeated。　　〃The　presence　of　an　unknown　being　in　the　mine　seems　impossible；　and　yet　there　can　be　no　doubt　about　it。　　Does　someone　besides　ourselves　wish　to　find　out　if　a　seam　yet　exists？　　Or；　rather；　has　he　attempted　to　destroy　what　remains　of　the　Aberfoyle　mines？　　But　for　what　reason？　I　will　find　that　out；　if　it　should　cost　me　my　life！〃

A　fortnight　before　the　day　on　which　Harry　Ford　guided　the　engineer　through　the　labyrinth　of　the　Dochart　pit；　he　had　been　on　the　point　of　attaining　the　object　of　his　search。　He　was　going　over　the　southwest　end　of　the　mine；　with　a　large　lantern　in　his　hand。　　All　at　once；　it　seemed　to　him　that　a　light　was　suddenly　extinguished；　some　hundred　feet　before　him；　at　the　end　of　a　narrow　passage　cut　obliquely　through　the　rock。　He　darted　forward。

His　search　was　in　vain。　　As　Harry　would　not　admit　a　supernatural　explanation　for　a　physical　occurrence；　he　concluded　that　certainly　some　strange　being　prowled　about　in　the　pit。　But　whatever　he　could　do；　searching　with　the　greatest　care；　scrutinizing　every　crevice　in　the　gallery；　he　found　nothing　for　his　trouble。

If　Jack　Ryan　and　the　other　superstitious　fellows　in　the　mine　had　seen　these　lights；　they　would；　without　fail；　have　called　them　supernatural；　but　Harry　did　not　dream　of　doing　so；　nor　did　his　father。　And　when　they　talked　over　these　phenomena；　evidently　due　to　a　physical　cause；　〃My　lad；〃　the　old　man　would　say；　〃we　must　wait。　It　will　all　be　explained　some　day。〃

However；　it　must　be　observed　that；　hitherto；　neither　Harry　nor　his　father　had　ever　been　exposed　to　any　act　of　violence。　If　the　stone　which　had　fallen　at　the　feet　of　James　Starr　had　been　thrown　by　the　hand　of　some　ill…disposed　person；　it　was　the　first　criminal　act　of　that　description。

James　Starr　was　of　opinion　that　the　stone　had　become　detached　from　the　roof　of　the　gallery；　but　Harry　would　not　admit　of　such　a　simple　explanation。　　According　to　him；　the　stone　had　not　fallen；　it　had　been　thrown；　for　otherwise；　without　rebounding；　it　could　never　have　described　a　trajectory　as　it　did。

Harry　saw　in　it　a　direct　attempt　against　himself　and　his　father；　or　even　against　the　engineer。


CHAPTER　VI　SIMON　FORD'S　EXPERIMENT


THE　old　clock　in　the　cottage　struck　one　as　James　Starr　and　his　two　companions　went　out。　　A　dim　light　penetrated　through　the　ventilating　shaft　into　the　glade。　　Harry's　lamp　was　not　necessary　here；　but　it　would　very　soon　be　of　use；　for　the　old　overman　was　about　to　conduct　the　engineer　to　the　very　end　of　the　Dochart　pit。

After　following　the　principal　gallery　for　a　distance　of　two　miles；　the　three　explorersfor；　as　will　be　seen；　this　was　a　regular　exploration　arrived　at　the　entrance　of　a　narrow　tunnel。　　It　was　like　a　nave；　the　roof　of　which　rested　on　woodwork；　covered　with　white　moss。　It　followed　very　nearly　the　line　traced　by　the　course　of　the　river　Forth；　fifteen　hundred　feet　above。

〃So　we　are　going　to　the　end　of　the　last　vein？〃　said　James　Starr。


〃Ay！　　You　know　the　mine　well　still。〃

〃Well；　Simon；〃　returned　the　engineer；　〃it　will　be　difficult　to　go　further　than　that；　if　I　don't　mistake。〃

〃Yes；　indeed；　Mr。　Starr。　　That　was　where　our　picks　tore　out　the　last　bit　of　coal　in　the　seam。　　I　remember　it　as　if　it　were　yesterday。　I　myself　gave　that　last　blow；　and　it　re…echoed　in　my　heart　more　dismally　than　on　the　rock。　　Only　sandstone　and　schist　were　round　us　after　that；　and　when　the　truck　rolled　towards　the　shaft；　I　followed；　with　my　heart　as　full　as　though　it　were　a　funeral。　It　seemed　to　me　that　the　soul　of　the　mine　was　going　with　it。〃

The　gravity　with　which　the　old　man　uttered　these　words　impressed　the　engineer；　who　was　not　far　from　sharing　his　sentiments。　They　were　those　of　the　sailor　who　leaves　his　disabled　vessel　of　the　proprietor　who　sees　the　house　of　his　ancestors　pulled　down。　He　pressed　Ford's　hand；　but　now　the　latter　seized　that　of　the　engineer；　and；　wringing　it：

〃That　day　we　were　all　of　us　mistaken；〃　he　exclaimed。　　〃No！　　The　old　mine　was　not　dead。　　It　was　not　a　corpse　that　the　miners　abandoned；　and　I　dare　to　assert；　Mr。　Starr；　that　its　heart　beats　still。〃

〃Speak；　Ford！　　Have　you　discovered　a　new　vein？〃　cried　the　engineer；　unable　to　contain　himself。　　〃I　know　you　have！　　Your　letter　could　mean　nothing　else。〃

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Simon　Ford；　〃I　did　not　wish　to　tell　any　man　but　yourself。〃

〃And　you　did　quite　right；　Ford。　　But　tell　me　how；　by　what　signs；　are　you　sure？〃

〃Listen；　sir！〃　resumed　Simon。　　〃It　is　not　a　seam　that　I　have　found。〃

〃What　is　it；　then？〃

〃Only　positive　proof　that　such　a　seam　exists。〃

〃And　the　proof？〃

〃Could　fire…damp　issue　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth　if　coal　was　not　there　to　produce　it？〃

〃No；　certainly　not！〃　replied　the　engineer。　　〃No　coal；　no　fire…damp。　No　effects　without　a　cause。〃

〃Just　as　no　smoke　without　fire。〃

〃And　have　you　recognized　the　presence　of　light　carburetted　hydrogen？〃

〃An　old　miner　could　not　be　deceived；〃　answered　Ford。　　〃I　have　met　with　our　old　enemy；　the　fire…damp！〃


〃But　suppose　it　was　another　gas；〃　said　Starr。　　〃Firedamp　is　almost　without　smell；　and　colorless。　　It　only　really　betrays　its　presence　by　an　explosion。〃

〃Mr。　Starr；〃　said　Simon　Ford；　〃will　you　let　me　tell　you　what　I　have　done？　　Harry　had　once　or　twice　observed　something　remarkable　in　his　excursions　to　the　west　end　of　the　mine。　Fire；　which　suddenly　went　out；　sometimes　appeared　along　the　face　of　the　rock　or　on　the　embankment　of　the　further　galleries。　How　those　flames　were　lighted；　I　could　not　and　cannot　say。　But　they　were　evidently　owing　to　the　presence　of　fire…damp；　and　to　me　fire…damp　means　a　vein　of　coal。〃

〃Did　not　these　fires　cause　any　explosion？〃　asked　the　engineer　quickly。

〃Yes；　little　partial　explosions；〃　replied　Ford；　〃such　as　I　used　to　cause　myself　when　I　wished　to　ascertain　the　presence　of　fire…damp。　Do　you　remember　how　formerly　it　was　the　custom　to　try　to　prevent　explosions　before　our　good　genius；　Humphry　Davy；　invented　his　safety…lamp？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　James　Starr。　　〃You　mean　what　the　'monk；'　as　the　men　called　him；　used　to　do。　　But　I　have　never　seen　him　in　the　exercise　of　his　duty。〃

〃Indeed；　Mr。　Starr；　you　are　too　young；　in　spite　of　your　five…and…fifty　years；　to　have　seen　that。　　But　I；　ten　years　older；　often　saw　the　last　'monk'　working　in　the　mine。　He　was　called　so　because　he　wore　a　long　robe　like　a　monk。　His　proper　name　was　the　'fireman。'　　At　that　time　there　was　no　other　means　of　destroying　the　bad　gas　but　by　dispersing　it　in　little　explosions；　before　its　buoyancy　had　collected　it　in　too　great　quantities　in　the　heights　of　the　galleries。　The　monk；　as　we　called　him；　with　his　face　masked；　his　head　muffled　up；　all　his　body　tightly　wrapped　in　a　thick　felt　cloak；　crawled　along　the　ground。　　He　could　breathe　down　there；　when　the　air　was　pure；　and　with　his　right　hand　he　waved　above　his　head　a　blazing　torch。　When　the　firedamp　had　accumulated　in　the　air；　so　as　to　form　a　detonating　mixture；　the　explosion　occurred　without　being　fatal；　and；　by　often　renewing　this　operation；　catastrophes　were　prevented。　Sometimes